The Luminato festival takes place in Toronto from June 11 – June 20, 2010 but until this year, the culture-explosion did not include fashion. That is, until Mark Fast.

At a debut for Mark Fast’s installation hosted by FASHION magazine, it was revealed that Fast had teamed with Lancome Paris. It was a collaboration that resulted in “[Reinterpreting] the rose,” a newly created Mark Fast original design that would accompany his larger than life installation.

Roped in

What looks like pristine white coiled rope has more depth – what you see is not simply a designer’s sojourn into the world of art, but an extension of his process.

Before a vision was reached, Fast scouted Luminato’s various venues until he reached the Allen Lambert Galleria at Brookfield Place. It was mentioned that Mark believed the space mimicked the industrial machine used to create his signature knits. Love at first sight, Fast used the coil rope to showcase his design process – a series of loops and knots hanging from the height of the ceiling referenced hours of labour-intensive work. What could have looked like a bunch of free-flung rope had a story, one that made fashion a presence at Luminato this year.

Endless spirals of rope appeared delicate, a true feat considering the weight and consistency of the dense material. Much like Fast’s designs, the norm is not an option – knit dresses offer a punch of sex and feminity, in the same way rope surprises as a feminine accent to an alluded rigorous process.

The choice of space was what made the installation spectacular. On such a large scale, a vision could be easily lost in over-embellishment, made to fill the cavernous space. Not so for Fast. Sticking to rope, the space was utilized effectively. Any more would seem inauthentic, any less would lack impact. Looking at the shapes formed and the effortlessly dropped coil, the spectator is able to interact with not only the garment, but every step that makes Mark’s garments so unique.

Seeing the two concepts unite made the vision come together. It would have no impact otherwise. Moving from finished garment to abstraction comforts the viewer, whether in fashion or not. Connections are easily drawn and given Luminato’s public spectactle, Mark Fast easily meets his brief.